1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to separation systems, and more particularly to separation systems having bolt ejecting separation nut assemblies combined with bolt catcher assemblies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To provide separation of two planes, such as for staging in spacecraft and in missiles, various types of separation devices, including separation nuts, explosive bolts, pin pullers and separation joints to name a few, have been used. These devices are generally initiated by explosive devices called squibs which generate a large volume of gas to perform the work. In aerospace applications a certain amount of redundancy is desired since there is generally no way to repair a malfunction during flight. Although squibs are highly reliable, some separation devices have used two squibs per device to achieve the desired redundancy at the cost of the added weight and added electrical power required for initiation.
Additionally, testing of the separation devices prior to actual use is desired to demonstrate performance reliability. Presently this cannot be done without complete disassembly and reassembly after testing prior to actual use, resulting in added man-hours with the chance for error in reassembly which would invalidate the test.